Ultraman

when I say

2009-09-28T08:23:00.001-07:00

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I’m not shouting “I've been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost! That's why I chose this way”.

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I don’t speak with human pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble - needing God to be my guide.

When I say, “I am a Christian” I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak and pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I don't think I know it all.
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught.

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I’m not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name.

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority -- I only know I’m loved.

-1988 Carol Wimmer

Sembawang

2009-09-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

the park

the innocent face

the jetty

the rotting bait

the catch

John

2009-09-24T08:34:00.001-07:00

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Jesus is indeed God.

Black and White

2009-09-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

Chinatown

sealion

2009-04-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there lived a sea lion who had lost the sea.

He lived in a country known as the barren land. High on a plateau far from any coast, it was a place so dry and dusty that it could only be called a desert. A kind of coarse grass grew in patches here and there, and a few trees were scattered across the horizon. But mostly, it was dust. And sometime wind, which together make one very thirsty. Of course, it must seem strange to you that such a beautiful creature should wind up in a desert at all. He was, mind you, a sea lion. But things like this do happen.

How the sea lion came to the barren land, no one could remember. It all seemed so very long ago. So ling, in fact, it appeared as though it had always been there, not that he belonged in such an arid place. How could it be? He was, after all, a sea lion. But as you know, once you have lived so long in a certain spot, no matter how odd, you come to think of it as home..

this is christmas, not!

2009-03-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

And another sign appeared in heaven; behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the women fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they would feed her there one thousands two hundred and sixty days.

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels ought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, have great wrath, be he knows that he has a short time.”

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might case her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“The day when Christ was born, was not a (believed) silent and peaceful night.. The birth of Christ does not bring us (believed) peace, instead it brings us to war.. Being a Christian is not for the soft hearted, but for the strong, are you really ready for it?”

oz

2009-03-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

Scarecrow wanted a brain.

Woodcutter wanted a heart.

Lion wanted courage.

And Dorothy waned to go home.

boredom

2009-02-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

"Boredom's doldrums" were unavoidable,yet also a primordial soup for some of life's quintessentially human moments.. A long drive home after a frustrating day could force ruminations. A pang of homesickness at the start of a plane ride might put a journey in perspective.

"Increasingly, these empty moments are being saturated with productivity, communication and the digital distractions offered by an ever-expanding array of slick mobile devices..

"But are we too busy twirling through the songs on our iPods - while checking email, while changing lanes on the highway - to consider whether we are giving up a good thing? We are most human when we fell dull. Lolling around in a state of restlessness is one of life's greatest luxuries - one not available to creatures that spend all theis time pursuing mere survival.

"To be bored is to stop reacting to the external world, and to explore the internal one. It is in these times of reflection that people often discover something new, whether it is an epiphany about a relationship or a new theory about the way the universe works. Granted, many people emerge from boredom feeling that they have accomplished nothing.

"But is accomplishment really the point of life? There is a strong argument that boredom - so often parodied as a glassy-eyed drooling state of nothingness - is an essential human emotion that underlies art, literature, philosophy, science and even love."

And I awoke from my boredom and realised " "

"The Joy of Boredom" by carolyn johnson

sunflower

2009-01-27T01:19:00.000-08:00

and the petals are green.

Tuesday

2009-01-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

Today is Tuesday. Which somehow, happens to be the enlistment day of the new intake. Somehow, I happen to be on duty as one of the ushers. And somehow, I happen to be assigned at the junction to direct the visitors to the exits and sadly, the enlistees to the mustering point.

It’s a ‘nostalgic’ place to be, watching the parents parting with their son and ladies with their loved one.

One last: "instruction, blessing, tears, hugs, kisses, ‘remember to call home’ and ‘I will miss you..’”

Somehow, things which I had always brushed off, actually make me ponder. .

“Some feelings are like wine, gives it some time to age, and the true aroma sets in.”

Join me for a sip?

Success comes in a CAN!

2009-01-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 1:6-10

6Then said I [Jeremiah]:
“Ah, Lord God! Behold, I CANNOT speak, for I am a YOUTH.”

7But the Lord said to me:
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

8Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

9Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me:
“Behold, I have PUT My words in your mouth.

10See, I HAVE this day SET you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.”

Many times in life, we tend to think in the same way as Jeremiah did. We think of how small we are and little of what we can do in life, due to our age and our inexperience. We do not dare to venture into the unknown, reaching to our passion and dreams, or even the calling of God. Ended up, we remained in where we always were, regretting the many decision which we never did, due to our insecurity.

Reflecting back, how many of your New Year resolutions and dreams were realized? Sadly for me, I can’t even recall which are those that I made. SPAT!!

Fortunately God does not think in the same way as we did! Instead, He thinks that we can achieve far greater things in life! For He has called us to be the salt and light of the earth, just like how He had called Jeremiah to be His prophet.

Matthew 5:13-16

13"YOU ARE the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14"YOU ARE the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

We are called to bring flavor to the earth, by changing the atmosphere of the world, and to bring light into the world, by excelling in the things that we do. Which includes, steeping into the unknown, chasing your passion, awakening your dreams and answering the calling of God!

In this new year , start throwing away your old self and believe that you CAN!

I CAN do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

*this is not a red-bull advertisement
**drinking red-bull may not allow you to fly

Humpty Dumpty

2008-12-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall;
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses
And all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!

But, Jesus can.

Have you ever sat on the wall, struggling between the right and the wrong?
And ended up fallen and lost?

I have.
And He can help.

Fear

2008-12-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

Oh,what I would do
To have the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win,
you'll never win."

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armour
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the stone was just the right size
to take the giant down
And the waves don't seem so high
when I'm standing on top of them looking down
And I'd soar with the wings of eagles
if I could just ignore the sound
Of the waves and the giants,
the waves and the giants in my mind

Lord, you've not given me a spirit of fear
But of power and of love,
and of a sound mind
So from now on,
I won't let the tempter's lies
turn my eyes away from the prize

That you have set before me.

That you have set before me.

2008-12-20T01:09:00.000-08:00

Who is the one who brings the morning light, who brings life to my soul?
Who is the one who listens whenever I seek and speak, and who answers me with love?
Who is the one who comforts when I am crying in sorrow, giving me strength and hope?
Who is the one who stands before me in my defend, when I am in defeat, and be my shield?
Lord, You are the One. The One, whom I stand unworthy before, yet who repaid my debt with Your blood.
You are the God, who creates the universe yet hold my dear in Your hands. You are the only God who loves me so.
Nothing shall separate me from Your love. In all my days, I shall serve and bring You praise.
No words can speak of my love to You.
Thank You.

Believe and Faith

2008-05-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Many times, we believe in the existence of God, when we get what we wanted and prayed for. Not surprisingly, we praised and honored His name more so this particular day than any other days.

However, what about the days when your prayers, are not answered? Do you still believe in God?

The whole of Hebrew 11 teaches us of having FAITH in God, in His promises that we shall shine in His glory!

Even verse 32-35 tells us that:

”32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets.33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. ”

Believe is in the seen and faith is in the unseen! “Believe” only comes in when we have first have faith in God.

Lord, forgive me for my impatience, grant me a patient heart that waits and listens to Your call. Let me lean not on my own understanding but trust in Your way. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, Amen. :)

Obedience and sacrifices

2008-01-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

Our God is a God of creation, He is the one, who created the universe and all things that ever existed and exist still in the universe. Even a tiny speck of dust, He seen it, He made it.

In John 1:3 it says,

‘All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.’

And in Genesis 1, the complete chronology of the creation of earth in 6 ‘God-days’ was also being described in detail.

Being the God of creation, He is also the God of abundance and Providence.
In Genesis 22:12-14, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provides, is the very name God revealed to us,

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. (KJV)

14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (NKJ)

Therefore, God is the one who create and provides for us, who then shall He be in need of? And of what shall He be in needs of? However, throughout the bible, it talks about giving tithes and offerings to the Lord. (Numbers 18:28; 2 Chronicles 31:12; Ezekiel 20:40)

Everything, with something to do with money and possession. But is that merely what God is looking at? Just some pieces of spare cash to satisfy His need?

God delights in our sacrifices, not to satisfy His material needs, but to see the heart of His children. A heart that is willing to part with precious belongings in our life, to show our submission and willingness to obey His commandments. In the story of Saul, God revealed to us what He truly wants and hopes from us.

In 1 Samuel 15:3, God speaks to Saul saying:

3 ‘Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy ALL they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’

However Saul did not follow what God has commanded him to do. Instead he spared Agag king of Amalek and kept the best of the sheep, oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good. He was unwilling to destroy them and brought them back to camp.

Saul later claimed that the plunders were meant as sacrifices to the Lord.
However speaking through Samuel, God says in 1 Samuel 15:22,23,

22 Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images).
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.

Obedience! is what God desires in us. God delights in us, His children, to follow His word and commandments. An act of rebellion to the word of God is equal to the sin of witchcraft, just as stubbornness is to iniquity and idolatry. We should obey and listen to the Lord and follow His commandments more so than being a ‘smart aleck’ and assume that our doings are pleasing to God. *By no means, shall the above verses rebuff tithing and giving offerings, for its God’s commandments to tithe and give offerings!

Simply ask yourself, would you want your parents/children to give you wonderful gifts on every other days, but ignore the simple pleads of spending more time with you when you feel lonely and missed home? Would you not hope that every gift you received from the ones you love comes from their heart, with careful planning and are something that is precious to them? Are we following His commandments and calls? Or are we seeking the easy way out by simply giving offerings to Him?

Gifts are a great way of showing your love for a person but it is also one of the easiest and insincere ways especially when they are being abused.
True love and sacrifices to the Lord, only comes when one is willing to obey and look upon God by faith and embark on the narrow path.

Obedience to the Lord is not solely about giving offering and tithes to the Lord, it is also about obeying the commandments of the Lord!

As above, after the Lord has reject Saul as king, He provided for Himself another king, king David.

David was know as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:13-15). He is a humble man, who kept a low profile and was considered as a nobody, even in his own family. However, he has a strong ardent love for the Lord.

Being a shepherd, whenever he brings his flocks to the pasture, he would bring along his lyre and sing psalms to the Lord. Afraid of no wild animals, lions and bear alike, he is a God-fearing man. Seeing the heart of this faithful man, God made him king, to judge over His very own people.

Soon after the death of Saul, David was made king over Israel and with the blessing of God, he finally overtook the stronghold of Zion and renamed it as the City of David. With the establishment of his city, he then decided to bring the ark of God back to his city. Now, with the ark of God in his city and with all the blessings and peace brought forth to him, he hopes to build a house for the Lord.

However, because David was a man of war and had shed much blood, God rejected him and instead He made a covenant with David that, He will establish the kingdom of his seed (Solomon) and that Solomon will build the house for the Lord!
*note: though David was very ‘excited’ about building a house for the Lord, he followed God’s commandments and did not start with the construction.

However, as Solomon was very young when he was appointed king, David made preparation of the building of the Lord’s temple for him.

In 1 Chronicles 22:14,

14 In my affliction and trouble I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weighing. I have also provided timber and stone; you must add to them.

*Note the ‘in my affliction and trouble’, David was actually giving more and out of everything he could, to the Lord, when he was in difficulty himself.

Summing up from what that was said in 1 Chronicles 22:14, 1 Chronicles 29:3,4 and 2 Chronicles 3:8 (just to quote some), David and Solomon amassed more than US$60 billion, in today’s value for the building of the house of the Lord!!
So great is the offering to the Lord, and surely God takes great delight in the house as well!

In 2 Chronicles 5:13,14,

13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:
“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”
that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,

14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

God takes so much delight in the house, that He, Himself descended and His glory filled the house.

However, if money and precious stones are truly the sole desires of the Lord, what happens to the offering by David and Solomon in the end?

In 2 kings 25:13-16,

13 The bronze pillars in the Lord's house and [its] bases and the bronze Sea the Chaldeans smashed and carried the bronze to Babylon.

14 And they took away the pots, shovels, snuffers, dishes for incense, all the bronze vessels used in the temple service,

15 The firepans, and bowls. Such things as were of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver [he took away] as silver.

16 The two pillars, the one Sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these articles was incalculable.

All the offering and valuables were being looted, and even the temple of the Lord was being burned down by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. All simply because, of the disobedience and defiance to the Lord by the descendants of David.

For in 2 Chronicles 6:16 Solomon prays,

16 "Now Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.'

However, Solomon’s son chose to sin against the Lord instead and snub His commandments, by bowing down to Baal; to the sun and moon; to the constellations; practiced sorcery and divination; consulted mediums and spiritists; spilling innocent blood and many other sins..

Finally, the wrath of the Lord was invoked and He delivered them into the hands of the Babylonians. God takes delight in the obedience and the faithful heart of David and Solomon, more so than the house they built for Him.

Now, even though we are living in era of the New Testament, God still desires us to follow His commandment and that is, to love!

In Mark 12:30,31 Jesus says:

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.

31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The ultimate commandment given to us by Jesus is to, love.

In Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus talked about the importance of love over sacrifices to the Lord:

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. *First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

True loving, in this context, is to forgive and to reconcile with those who had done wrong against us. Jesus wants us to learn to forgive people for their wrong just like how He did, forgiving us for our sins all because that He loves us! We can’t say we love, until we forgive.

*Note verse 24? First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift – enough said! Love the people, yet not forget about God!

Carry the cross and follow His way, Love Him!! To God be the glory!

2008-01-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

Spat!!